


The Animagus Effect

by KWrite



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24956836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KWrite/pseuds/KWrite
Summary: “There have only been seven Animagi this century.” Registered Animagi that is. James, Sirius, and Peter thought they were doing something spectacular when they became unregistered Animagi; that choice and the choices they made using their powers changed their lives. But they were neither the first nor the last to ignore the Ministry’s law of registration and other people’s choices can affect your life just as much as your own can.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Peter Pettigrew/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black & Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter
Kudos: 1





	The Animagus Effect

“Are you sure it’s safe here?” whispered Peter as he glanced around the brightly lit room. The muggle library was filled with people of all ages and with a few books open on their table, he and Sirius looked no different from any of the other Muggle university students studying for their classes. Except, they weren’t actually reading the books in front of them and Peter had no idea what biochemistry was. Still, he was uneasy about the whole thing. “Anyone could sneak up on us.” All it would take was a few Death Eaters showing up and there would be no way that the body count in this war would not rise, and it would be the muggles who paid the price. Just like they had been throughout the last few years since You-Know-Who had really made a push to take over the wizarding world.

“It’ll be fine, Pete. You worry too much.”

“And you don’t worry enough, Padfoot,” Peter scolded.

Sirius just grinned in response. The same boyish grin that Peter had seen more times than he could count over the past ten years; it made Sirius just endearing enough that Peter usually resisted smacking him upside the head when he was being an idiot. _Usually_. Not today though, leaning across the small table, Peter swatted his friend on the head accidentally dislodging a black beetle that had been crawling unnoticed in Sirius’ hair.

“Oi!” Sirius protested loudly, drawing a few angry glares from a few students studying nearby.

“There was a beetle on your head,” Peter said with a shrug; years of practice allowing him to keep a straight face.

“Did you kill it?”

“Doubt it. It’s probably hiding in that mess you call your hair. You look as bad as Prongs.”

“Git.” Sirius leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. It was longer than normal and messier than usual, but nowhere near as messy as James’ often was. “Speaking of Prongs though…”

Peter’s grin faded. “Are you sure it’s safe to talk here?” he asked, repeating his earlier question. 

“Yes!” Sirius answered, a touch of exasperation in his voice. “Seriously, Wormtail, when did you replace Moony as the biggest worrier in my life?”

“Probably around the time I became responsible for the safety of one of my best friends and his wife and son, who You-Know-Who is actively looking for!” Peter snapped, though he kept his voice low. “This isn’t just some prank at Hogwarts, you know,” he continued, “this is their lives. All three of them. I’m sorry for taking that seriously.”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Sirius said. “I’m beyond grateful that you’re taking this seriously. Its just… I miss them. It’s been almost a month since I’ve seen them.”

“And how many times have Death Eaters come after you trying to find them?”

Sirius hesitated. “Eight times,” he admitted, “but I’ve had no problem dealing with them. Besides, even if they did manage to get me its not like I’d be able to tell them anything even if you did tell me. The risk doesn’t change.”

Rather than respond, Peter stared at the table for a long moment, his brow furrowed as he thought. “There’s the beetle,” he said, gesturing at the black bug sitting at the edge of the table. Swinging his hand, Peter startled it making it take flight.

“Why didn’t you just kill it?” Sirius asked.

With a half-hearted shrug, Peter answered, “I’m getting sick of all the killing. The beetle wasn’t doing anything, there wasn’t a reason to kill it.”

“I guess.”

There was a lull in the conversation again and the two friends simply sat in silence, Sirius occasionally flipping through the pages of one of the books.

“Why here?” Peter asked suddenly.

“Hmm?”

“Why’d you want to meet here to talk about Prongs? There’s so many people, it would’ve been safer at my place or yours.”

“I doubt it,” Sirius disagreed, “this is the middle of muggle York. Even if they knew we were here, do you really think any of those pureblood tossers could get in here without making a scene? We’d realize that they were here long before they’d recognize us.”

“Not all of his followers are purebloods, and you know it,” Peter argued. “And even some of the purebloods took Muggle Studies.”

“Muggle Studies, are you serious, Pete?” Sirius asked with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “The class was bloody useless, at least as far as knowing anything about how to live unnoticed among muggles.” Peter opened his mouth to protest further, but Sirius continued on, “Do you know Arthur Weasley?” At Peter’s blank look, Sirius continued, “His younger brother, Oliver, was the seventh year Frank Longbottom was mooning over in our second year.”

“Okayyy,” Peter said, drawing the word out. “What does Arthur or Oliver have to do with anything?” Although remembering Frank’s crush on the older boy brought a smile to his face. He hoped Alice still teased Frank about it occasionally.

“You see, Arthur is obsessed with Muggles. And I know for a fact that he took Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. Got a N.E.W.T. in it and everything. Well, I saw him a few weeks ago trying to do… something with one of those Muggle telephones. He had no idea how to work the thing and looked completely ridiculous.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is Muggle Studies is useless. The class didn’t teach a thing as far as learning how to blend in with Muggles.”

“That still doesn’t mean that You-Know-Who doesn’t have followers who know how to blend in with Muggles! Its not like all of his followers are like Lestrange and Nott. Higgens is a half-blood and was raised a muggle, he could blend in here better than we can.”

“So, we add in a bit of magic,” Sirius said, discreetly drawing his wand under the table. “I casted Muffliato after you decided to hit me. No one can hear us and unless some Death Eaters jump out from behind those bookshelves, I doubt we’re in any danger.” 

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” Peter said, with an apologetic shrug. “I get it, I really do, but the point of casting the Fidelius Charm was to keep their location a secret.”

“But it only works if they stay in the hiding spot, right?” Sirius pushed. “You can’t tell me that James isn’t going stir crazy in there. Another week or two of this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts sneaking out.”

_That was a good point_ , Peter thought. James had already needed to be persuaded to not leave the house to surprise Sirius on his birthday and he’d only been in hiding for two weeks at that point. And the last time Peter had stopped by, James had spent most of the visit venting to him about an argument he had had with Lily and his desire to get out of the house. Lily had been just as frustrated and spent most of the visit in another room with Harry. They loved one another, but the situation was fraying their nerves. Sirius being able to visit wouldn’t solve the problem but having more company would probably calm them both down for a little while.

“Fine,” Peter said with a sigh. “You win. I’ll tell you, but you can’t go and see them until after the next Order meeting. That should give me time to let them know, so they don’t think you’re some Death Eater and kill you before you can even knock on the door. And I solemnly swear that if you encourage James to try sneaking off, _I_ will kill you.”

“Have I ever told you that you’re the best, Pete?” Sirius asked, a wide grin now stretched across his face.

“Multiple times now. Probably because of all the times I’ve saved your hide after you’ve done something stupid.”

“Nothing I do is stupid, I’m the paragon of intelligence.”

“You cast a tickling jinx on yourself when dueling with Davies! That’s hardly what I call intelligent.”

“I still beat him.”

“Only because he was so busy laughing at what an idiot you were.”

“Still counts as a win.”

“Still counts as dumb.” There was another brief moment of silence before Peter leaned across the table and whispered, “They’re at the Potter’s cottage in Godric's Hollow.” 

There was another moment of silence before Sirius spoke up again. “Y’know I half expected some big fanfare when you told me that,” he admitted, as he glanced around the library. No one was so much as glancing in their direction. “You just told me a secret that dozens of wizards in the world would kill to know, and no one here knows or cares.”

“Just don’t let any of them kill you,” Peter replied, suddenly looking much more relaxed. The secret had been shared and only Sirius would have been able to hear him. His friends would be safe. “You’ll have to live until you have a beard as long as Dumbledore’s before you manage to pay me back for this.”

Touching his chin, Sirius said, “Guess I shouldn’t’ve shaved this morning, then.”

Snorting with amusement, Peter stood. “I should get going. Mad-eye wants me to cover Edgar’s shift tonight, since his kid’s still sick.”

“Bet that makes you happy.” When Peter shot him a puzzled glance, he continued, “Doesn’t Edgar usually patrol with Margaret?” Peter’s blush was enough of an affirmative for Sirius and he grinned. “You should seriously just ask the girl out already.”

“Shut up.”

“She’d say yes.”

“Shut up, Padfoot.”

“Okay, but it's your loss Wormtail,” Sirius said, as he too stood up. Giving his friend a brief hug, he whispered, “And seriously, thanks for telling me.”

“Just remember, no visiting until after the next Order meeting,” Peter said.

“Aye, aye,” Sirius replied with a mock salute. Then, laughing the friends walked toward the door of the library out into the sun, their books left scattered on the table and the beetle that had been sitting underneath the table went unnoticed.

With a flutter of its wings, the small bug took flight and zoomed across the library, completely ignored by the patrons, as it flew into a dark, empty room. Had anyone been watching the beetle they might have been surprised as it suddenly disappeared and just as suddenly a blonde woman appeared in the room instead, a wicked smile on her face. Then, with a loud crack she too disappeared, leaving no sign that Rita Skeeter had ever been inside the library.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping that by publishing this now, I'll be motivated to continue writing faster, but no promises how quickly I'll update it.


End file.
